April Dive Reports

[pasley]

Date:
Time of Dive:
Dive Time (duration):
Vis:
Wave height:
Water Temp:
MAX Depth:
Nearest High Tide:
Nearest Low Tide:
Comments:

 

[pasley]

Date: 05 Apr 05
Time of Dive: 1:30 pm
Wave height: 3 feet, uh make that 10 see below for story.

Comments: We met at Bluff park and looked over the waves and coast line through the supplied telescope. Went to the Malibu Road dive site and checked the waves there. Swell model was 1-2 feet. Waves were 3 feet with the occasional bugger. Nice lull between sets and the waves were as normal for this site breaking in close to shore maybe about 40 feet out. This quick break does make them wall up more, but makes for a nice narrow surf zone. . We decided to check out Corral Beach. It was worse so we went back to Malibu Road.

Waves we doable but were marginal. Dive partner says he wants to dive it so we suit up. Get to the water and the waves are in the 3 foot range and breaking close to shore abut 40 feet or less from the waters edge. We go in and wade out together to past the surf line. I put on my fins and kick out just a little further. My dive partner however is having a little issue getting his fins on and is just past the surf line about 20 feet away from me.

Everything is fine, sun is shining and I am relaxing just floating there getting ready to go diving. Then, I hear it. It is never a good sign when you hear the roar of the ocean behind you. I look behind me and about 20 yards out to sea from where I am a wave is starting to break with a nice curl any surfer would love. Did I mention that this puppy was big? I am not real good at sizze estimation, but it looked like 8-10 feet. :dropmouth
I yell to my partner BIG WAVE? He turns around and, well we won't repeat what he said, repeatedly. But it was not for polite company. I dive for the bottom and go under the wave. No problem, we are both ok. But this wave brought his friends! Lots of them. We were treated to continuous sets of waves from this point on, all breaking way off shore from where they were before and just perfect for the surfing crowd to get a nice long ride. Not so hot if you are doing your entry or exit.

My partner is now minus a mask and snorkel (so if you find one at Malibu Road) and this dive is a bust. Now, for the fun part, to get out. There is nothing like making an exit in 6-10 foot waves on with rocks in the surf line. Using our best beach diving skills and a little body surfing, we make an uneventful exit.

I hate washing up my gear when I did not even get to go under (not counting diving under the big waves).

 

[dazedone]

Yup, that dive site looked so good until the moment I was ready to put my 2nd fin on in what I thought would be the end of the surf zone and you warned me about that wave! Trying to navigate those waves with only 1 fin on was fun to say the least. Glad I had my reg in my mouth when it hit!!

I was so sorry to see that mask go. It survived the first couple waves, it filled with water, I cleared it, repeat a few times and the 4th wave hit, mask gone!

Once I managed to get my one fin off it was and easy crawl :babycrawl back on to the beach.

I was kicking myself as I was driving back south down PCH and noticed how much calmer the water was over there.

Hopefully, we can try it again sometime when the surf is a little more cooperative.

Date: 05 Apr 05
Time of Dive: 1:30 pm
Wave height: 3 feet, uh make that 10 see below for story.

Comments: We met at Bluff park and looked over the waves and coast line through the supplied telescope. Went to the Malibu Road dive site and checked the waves there. Swell model was 1-2 feet. Waves were 3 feet with the occasional bugger. Nice lull between sets and the waves were as normal for this site breaking in close to shore maybe about 40 feet out. This quick break does make them wall up more, but makes for a nice narrow surf zone. . We decided to check out Corral Beach. It was worse so we went back to Malibu Road.

Waves we doable but were marginal. Dive partner says he wants to dive it so we suit up. Get to the water and the waves are in the 3 foot range and breaking close to shore abut 40 feet or less from the waters edge. We go in and wade out together to past the surf line. I put on my fins and kick out just a little further. My dive partner however is having a little issue getting his fins on and is just past the surf line about 20 feet away from me.

Everything is fine, sun is shining and I am relaxing just floating there getting ready to go diving. Then, I hear it. It is never a good sign when you hear the roar of the ocean behind you. I look behind me and about 20 yards out to sea from where I am a wave is starting to break with a nice curl any surfer would love. Did I mention that this puppy was big? I am not real good at sizze estimation, but it looked like 8-10 feet. :dropmouth
I yell to my partner BIG WAVE? He turns around and, well we won't repeat what he said, repeatedly. But it was not for polite company. I dive for the bottom and go under the wave. No problem, we are both ok. But this wave brought his friends! Lots of them. We were treated to continuous sets of waves from this point on, all breaking way off shore from where they were before and just perfect for the surfing crowd to get a nice long ride. Not so hot if you are doing your entry or exit.

My partner is now minus a mask and snorkel (so if you find one at Malibu Road) and this dive is a bust. Now, for the fun part, to get out. There is nothing like making an exit in 6-10 foot waves on with rocks in the surf line. Using our best beach diving skills and a little body surfing, we make an uneventful exit.

I hate washing up my gear when I did not even get to go under (not counting diving under the big waves).

 

[PhotoTJ]

Live to dive another day.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

Glad your ok. Sounds like a scary situation.

I've been waiting for some good vis to go diving.
8-12 ft. vis now in Laguna. I want to find those
500 lbs. black sea bass just like I saw on diver day at the
Long beach Aquarium!!!! I'd even settle for a ray or one
of those massive bugs they had!!!

One day perhaps!

Sean

 

[pasley]

I want to find those
500 lbs. black sea bass just like I saw on diver day at the
Long beach Aquarium!!!! I'd even settle for a ray or one
of those massive bugs they had!!! ...

When the swell is out of the south, as it usally is in the summer, dive La Jolla Cove. From steps closest to the street swim out to yellow buoy on a 30 degree heading, 50 yards short of buoy (kelp) drop down and keep a sharp look out for a patch of sand used by senorita fish to groom Giant Black Sea Bass and other fish. I once saw 12 of the monsters circling slowly and taking their turn in the car wash. 2 nice sharks (blues I belive) on the same dive.

Italian gardens is also another good spot.

 

[pasley]

Date: April 10th 2004 Deadmand Cove Laguna Beach
Time of Dive:*:43 AM
Dive Time (duration):50:50
Vis: 10-15 feet
Wave height:1-2 ft.
Water Temp:59 Suunto degrees
MAX Depth:50 FSW
Nearest High Tide: 4:22 PM 3.0 feet
Nearest Low Tide:8:45 AM -0.3 feet
Comments: Strong long shore current. Swam out and dropped down into a very strong current and were not making any headway to speak of. Surfaced after 5 minutes and were well towards the Shaw Cove side of Cresent Bay. Swam back towards seal rock and a little in towards shore. Slow going and not making much progress there iether. Dropped down after swiming for 18 minutes and barely making it almost to inline with the reef comming out from the west side of Crescent bay. Dropped down again, but no help from the current. Turned the dive to the west and still no better, then turned to the North west to swim into shore and towards the reef running out to deadmans. Came to the reef and turned to shore and finished our dive exploring the reef running back into shore. A good dive but the long shore current out by deadmans was a B*#h! Still in all we got wet.

 

[PhotoTJ]

Date: 10 Apr 04
Time of Dive: 11:00
Dive Time (duration): 50mins
Vis: 8-12
Wave height: 1-3
Water Temp: 59
MAX Depth: 19
Nearest High Tide:
Nearest Low Tide:
Comments:
Easy entry, dove with ScottK, his octo is freeflowing like mad, get that corrected, proceed with dive. Trapped a fly in my camera housing, he survived the dive with no ill effects. Took a few shots, grabbed 9 scallops, batteries died in buddies camera, got smacked by a wave on exit.

 

[So Cal Divin]

Date: April 10,2004
Time: 8:00 am
Duration: 1 hr. 14 min.
Vis: 5-20'
Wave height: 1-3'
Water temp.: 57 Suunto deg.
Max depth: 30'
Low tide: 8:45 am
High tide: 11:15 am
Comments: First time doing a rocky beach entry. Went down a couple of times but didn't turtle. Low tide so wasn't worried about the waves. Couple of die hard surfers hanging out by the boilers riding the waves on their knees,pathetic. Dive buddy wanted to drop down early and navigate to the kelp.
My dive buddy has problems with motion sickness at the surface. No chance once we dropped down vis was 5' and the reefs would just force you to the surface anyway. Buddy didn't blow chunks this time. Don't think we were in long enough. Love this beach because it's a short swim to the kelp; 25 yds and there's reef every where . Closest thing to Catalina I've dived yet minus the abundance of wild life.
Dark as night under the kelp. Was a beautiful site when doing a barrel roll under the kelp. Found some nice sized reef walls also offered the best vis due to lack of kelp. A ton of gold colored sea fans. The usual suspects big kelp bass, rubber lip perch, senoritas and garibaldi. Find that big ass gold fish and follow him right to the bugs.
Surfaced after 1hr because dive buddy was feeling sick under water ? Chummed it big time at the surface. A pod of dolphins were playing in the kelp about 20' from us. Never saw them under water though. Did see a lot of dead/dying spider crabs big and small. What's up with that ? Descended for our return to the beach which lasted 15 min. because of the reefs forcing us to the surface again. Buddy chummed the water again. All in all it was a good dive just hope my buddy finds out what's wrong with him soon .We're heading to the Yukon next weekend !!!
Sea ya later.

Jeff

 

[FengShui]

Date:04/11
Time of Dive: 11am
Dive Time (duration): 45 min
Vis: 10-12'
Wave height: 1-2'
Water Temp:57 F.
MAX Depth:29 Ft.
Nearest High Tide: 2am
Nearest Low Tide:10:30am
Comments: Conditions at Deer Creek yesterday were only so-so, but there in appeal to a low-vis dive every once in a while, with the kep and fish looking out of the murk. We saw a small shark (~1') resting on a rock and a few sizeable crabs.